Clay Pot Onion Soup

Clay cooking pots are effortless to use and don’t dry out food. In fact the food that is cooked in them tastes wonderful! You don’t necessarily need to add more fat or liquid so this method of cooking is also good for you. Any recipe can be adapted for cooking in a clay pot and it is a good way of using up leftover food.

The pots or chicken bricks need to be soaked for 15 minutes in water before use and when they are heated in the oven, steam will evaporate slowly during cooking, and the food inside will release and cook in its own juices.

Although this recipe is cooked for 2 hours, you can leave it to cook without any worry. Once everything is thrown into the pot, the top goes on and into the oven, giving you more time to do other things.

By Caroline Marson

Cookery advisor All recipes by Caroline Marson

Ingredients show imperial units

Serves 4

6 large onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
25g butter
A sprig of thyme

Herbs

Ideal for seasoning pastas.

To keep cut parsley or coriander, put in a hole free polythene bag with a couple of tablespoons of cold water, give the bag a good shake and keep in the salad drawer of the fridge. Herbs should keep for a week like this.
1.2 litres vegetable stock

Stocks

Made from your meat and fish bones.

Frozen in ice cubes for gravies, risotto and cooking rice. Once frozen, remove from the ice trays and pack into freezer bags. Use stock powder or cubes if you do not have any home made available.
240ml dry white wine
Salt

Salt

Consider tablesalt, sea salt or crystals.

Sea salt’s pronounced and salty flavour means less is required to season food.
Black pepper
Black peppercorns

Best used as a condiment.
They can be lightly crushed and used to spice up a creamy sauce or to coat fillet steak or chicken breasts.
- Although it might seem odd, grinding black pepper over a bowl of strawberries enhances the flavour of the fruit.
- Pepper that is pre-ground is not fresh tasting and often has other ingredients mixed in.
- Choose the type of mill that suits you, and if you want coarser pepper you can loosen the screw on the top of the mill or crush the seeds in a pestle and mortar
Slices of French bread
150g grated leftover cheese
Cheese

Add to eggs for omelettes, grate onto soups or salads.
- Parmesan often goes rock hard or becomes horribly sweaty. Ideally, all cheese should be stored in a cool, airy place at a temperature of 46-50F/8-10C. However, most of us put it straight into the fridge. This is fine providing the cheese is kept loosely wrapped in its own airtight container so it isn’t tainted by other foods.
- Store it in the salad drawer, which is not quite as cold as the rest of the fridge and use a micro plane for grating.

Instructions

Soak the clay pot for 15 minutes and drain. Put the onions and garlic in the pot and dot with butter. Cover and place the clay pot in a cold oven. Set the oven at 200°C (400°F) mark 6. Cook, stirring once or twice, until onions are light brown, about 1 hour.
Sprinkle the onions with thyme. Pour in stock and wine. Cook, covered for 1 hour. Season to taste.

Near the end of the soups cooking time, toast the bread. Float the toasts in a single layer over the soup. Sprinkle with cheese. Increase the temperature of the oven to 230°C (450°F) mark 8. Cook the soup uncovered for 10 minutes until golden and bubbling.

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